Across the globe, spies gather in inconspicuous dens to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online explores one of South East Asia's legendary establishments, the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, a colonial-era stop off for intelligence officers, silver-screen spies and heads of state alike.
At 123 years old, the five-star Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is doing well, flying the flag of the Accor group and milking colonial nostalgia with its vintage Citroën Traction cars parked near the entrance. The Compagnie Française Immobilière de Hanoi started construction here in 1901 in the heart of a district where architecture was used over the
